Curtis Harding
Soul Power
Reviewed by: Rebecca Robinson
Curtis Harding’s professional singing background is very evident in the polished vocals of his first solo album, Soul Power. The entire album feels designed to throw the listener back into the music scene of the 1960s and ‘70s where fun and upbeat instrumentation belies the deeper meaning of the lyrics. Indeed, the song “Beautiful People” could have been plucked out of a political rally for civil rights.
Throughout each song on the album, iconic music elements from those decades are reworked into original elements that don’t manage to lose their roots, preserving the clear influence of the era on this artist. A number of jazz influenced songs are successfully incorporated into the album, providing enough versatility to keep listeners entertained.
While the lyrics are delivered in the clear and precise manner of the day, the vocals have a far away quality more common in live music than in a studio recording. This actually works well with this style of music, although the vocals are overwhelmed in a few places. There are also a few spots on the album where songs end rather abruptly, jarring the listener out of the mood being created and back into reality. Curtis Harding needs to trust in his talent enough to extend these songs to a natural close.
In its entirety, Soul Power feels like a live performance given in an intimate club setting. Baby boomers and fans of easy listening will be instant fans.
Rating: Bad-Ass
